Success stories
Our writers go on to publishing contracts with major publishers.

Mona Tewari, a graduate of The Novelry, has been published by Bindery Books and become an instant Indie Bestseller. Her debut novel Burn the Sea is a lush historical fantasy, based on the life of Indian monarch Abbakka Chowta, in which a fierce queen must defend her country against both the colonizing monsters attacking from the sea and the cowardly manipulations of a neighboring king... who happens to be her husband.

Mona says: “I am extremely grateful for the help of so many wonderful people at The Novelry (especially Tasha and Craig) who helped make this book possible.”

Mona is represented by Jennifer Azantian at Azantian Literary Agency.

Macmillan has published the debut novel from The Novelry graduate, Monica Vuu.

When One of Us Hurts is described as “small-town crime fiction at its shocking best. Monica Vuu has crafted a memorable debut full of macabre surprises.”

Monica says: “Signing up for a course at The Novelry is one of my best decisions. I was 100% green; it was my first foray into writing. With the daily lessons and the supportive community, The Novelry made my induction into the fiction-writing world joyful. There was no way to know then, but the positive experience set the tone for my ongoing writing journey. This is a safe space for inexperienced writers to come and play.”

Simon & Schuster Children’s Books has published Dream Hunters, a middle-grade adventure by The Novelry graduate Nazima Pathan, as part of a two-book deal.

Nazima was introduced to her agent Chloe Seager at Madeleine Milburn Literary Agency through The Novelry’s bespoke submission service.

Nazima says: “The Novelry was a game changer on how to approach a novel, and turn it into a well-structured, polished piece of work. The manuscript assessment was spot on. Incisive, constructive and encouraging. I feel I have learned so much and am stronger for it!”

Nicole Brooks, a graduate of The Novelry, has signed a publishing contract with Blackstone Publishing for her debut novel, No Higher Ground.

No Higher Ground is a high-stakes, race-against-time thriller of one family trapped during a flood of epic proportions.

Nicole was introduced to her agent Rachel Beck at Liza Dawson Associates through The Novelry’s bespoke submission service.

Our writing coach and bestselling author Kate Riordan says: “This is a white-knuckle ride from start to finish. The secret horrors of the past are woven skilfully into the terrifying present-day flood, so that the tension builds to an almost unbearable pitch. I couldn’t put it down!”

Nicole says: “I came to The Novelry at my lowest. I’d been trying to get an agent for five years and although I’d had some near misses, I knew I only had the energy for one more try. With a recently queried manuscript in hand, I decided I couldn’t do it alone anymore and hired The Novelry to help me through the process. The lessons were easy to follow and chock-full of great information. I especially appreciated the writing coach meetings, where Kate helped me sort out the problem with my story. From there, it was a full rewrite, but the outcome is something I’ve never been so proud of. The Big Edit really made my writing sing! Add in Tash’s wisdom about reworking a major plot point and Emily’s dogged determination to see me successfully through to the end, and I have finally achieved my ultimate writing dream!

“I couldn’t be happier with my decision to work with The Novelry. The kindness and respect shown by everyone made me fall back in love with writing and made me feel like I really could do this. I look forward to working with Rachel and building on the solid writing foundation I finally found at The Novelry.”

Nikki Allen, a graduate of The Novelry, has signed a two-book deal with Pan Macmillan. Crime and thriller editor Raphaella Demetris acquired world English language rights from Kate Burke at Blake Friedmann Literary Agency. The Hideaway, the first book in the deal, will be published in July 2025, with the second thriller to follow in 2026. Romanian rights have also been sold.

In The Hideaway, what should be the opportunity of a lifetime for five strangers becomes a fight for survival when a meditation retreat in Costa Rica turns deadly..

Nikki says: “Since joining The Novelry in early 2022 with nothing but a spark of an idea and the determination to (somehow!) turn it into a novel, I have been blown away by Louise Dean’s course materials, the author coaching, the community of writers and the incredible support from editors to boot. I am beyond thrilled with how far I’ve come, both with my writing and signing with such a top-notch agent, and am so excited for my future writing career. Thank you, The Novelry!”

Mysterious Press—the publishing home to authors Megan Abbott, P.D. James, James Ellroy, Elmore Leonard and more—has acquired Glitter in the Dark, the debut novel by The Novelry graduate Olesya Lyuzna—a queen noir set in roaring twenties New York.

An ambitious advice columnist who knows she is capable of solving more than beauty problems witnesses the kidnapping of a famous singer at a Harlem speakeasy and manipulates a brooding detective into a reluctant partnership as the case unravels.

John Murray Press, an imprint of Hodder at Hachette, has acquired Sunbirds by The Novelry graduate, Penelope Slocombe.

Inspired by the real-life mystery of the nearly two dozen Western travelers who disappeared in Northern India’s Kullu Valley between the mid-1990s and the early 2000s, Sunbirds is billed by the publisher as “a propulsive, emotionally intelligent debut about a woman’s search for her son, and herself.”

Author Rashmi Sirdeshpande, a graduate of The Novelry, has published eight books for children, was shortlisted for the Blue Peter Book Awards 2022, and voted one of The Times Best Books of 2020.

Rashmi says: “Utterly brilliant. Do this course! Life-changing, in fact. The course, the community and the guide, are the best things that have ever happened to the writer in me.”

Emmeline Fernandez has signed with agent Liza DeBlock at Greenstone Literary Agency for her debut novel, A Little Grace. Emmeline is a graduate of The Novelry and was introduced to her agent through our bespoke submission service.

In A Little Grace, a gruesome discovery of a body in the woods sets three strangers on an unexpected collision course: a sheriff on his first murder case, a tormented brother, and a mother on the run—perfect for fans of The God of the Woods and All the Colors of the Dark.

Emmeline says: “When I started The Novelry, my only goal was to finally put on the page an idea I’d been turning over for six years, to do justice to the story in my head. Working with Kate Riordan and Amanda Reynolds helped me do exactly that. Without ever reading a word of my work in progress, they understood what I was trying to achieve and pushed me to find new ways to get there.

“I was so proud of that first draft that I even began to imagine a far-off world in which I might be published. Then I started working with editors Sorcha Rose and Tash Barsby. Their carefully considered advice and thoughtful edits helped transform my manuscript into something I could never have imagined—a real novel, and a better one than the one I’d originally set out to write. They supported not only my work but me as an author, including introducing me to an agent who believed in my book more than I did.

“At every stage of the process, I felt supported and championed by the whole team at The Novelry, and I’m so glad I made this leap for myself.”

Hannah Choi Paul has signed with agent Nicole Cunningham at Trellis Literary Management for their debut novel, Hyori.

In Hyori, a former morgue assistant receives a package from her dead mentor, Frankie, and is pulled back into the homicide case that ended their friendship: the murder of eighteen-year-old Heaven Kim. The deeper back into the case she goes, the more unstable her sense of self becomes, until she must face the fact that she’s the only person who can restore justice—and that doing so may unravel the fragile identity she has constructed as a wife and mother. Hannah Choi Paul is a graduate of The Novelry and was introduced to their agent through our bespoke submission service.

Hannah says: “For a long time, I worked alone. In 2025, I decided to change that—investing in myself and my writing through The Novelry's Big Edit and the UMA. That decision led me to my wonderful literary agent, Nicole Cunningham at Trellis Literary Management. I'm deeply grateful to The Novelry team for helping me get here. It's a dream come true!”

Jane Mansour, a graduate of The Novelry, has signed with literary agent Hannah Todd at Madeleine Milburn Literary Agency.

Jane says: “The Novelry gave me the time and structure to write. The daily lessons helped me bash out a messy first draft. I then did The Big Edit, which guided me through the self-editing process, and helped me think about submission to agents. I found the workshops a great space to ask questions and focus on elements of plot and pace, especially when I was in the depths of structural edits.”

Jane has spent the last two decades working in the Employment and Adult Skills sectors in the U.K., U.S. and Australia.

Janet Change, a graduate of The Novelry, has signed with literary agent Hellie Ogden at WME's books division for her debut novel, Girl Dinner—a compulsive bookclub novel with a horror twist about Connie, a downtrodden personal assistant who attends culinary school in Paris and slowly becomes a cannibal.

With the dark satirical voice of R. F. Kuang’s Yellowface, it touches on themes of identity and female relationships like in Mona Awad’s Bunny.

Janet was introduced to her agent at WME through The Novelry’s bespoke submission service.

Janet says: “The support from The Novelry has felt like slipping into a warm bath: safe, comfortable, and barely any chance of drowning. The pace of the Ninety Day Novel helped me outrun my doubt (no time for fear when you’re writing 1200 words a day!), and The Big Edit turned my lump of clay/glass/whatever into something cohesive that still felt true to who I was, and not worrisome at all that it ended up being about cannibalism.

“Amanda, Lesley, and Katie were such encouraging coaches, and I don’t have enough words to describe how wonderful Craig and Josie were—and I have a lot of words. (But not TOO many words, thanks to them!) Josie was the most incredible advocate, and I’m so grateful she held my hand as I took my first steps into the publishing world. She and The Novelry will always be a part of my story.

“I am beyond thrilled to sign with Hellie and her team at WME, what an absolute dream come true. The Novelry performs miracles every day, and I’m so lucky that today was my turn. Thank you for believing in me and my book!”

Jennifer Snow has signed with agent Bridget Smith at JABberwocky Literary Agency for her novel, The Dividing Line. Jennifer is a graduate of The Novelry and was introduced to her agent through our bespoke submission service.

The Dividing Line is set in a country cut off from the rest of the world by a magical Line that keeps out the deadly monstrous. When one of the surveyors holding a portion of the Line in her body is murdered, two women—one to plot a course for the Line, the other to construct and hold it—are assigned to replace her segment, but in the course of their work discover much more about the Line than they were ever taught.

Jennifer says: “I joined The Novelry to improve my writing craft intentionally, rather than through trial and error, as I had reached a sticking point in a complicated novel. It has been an experience far beyond my expectations! The Novelry provides structure for the process of creating a story and bringing it to life, from the initial concept to polishing the query letter and synopsis. There are new offerings and workshops every week about every aspect of craft and the publishing industry; online community; genre-specific and cross-genre resources; and the support of book coaches and professional editors”

”My book coach, Andrea Stewart, helped me interrogate my story ideas from their first seeds through the first draft, with energy and humor, and editors Craig Leyanaar, Natasha Qureshi, and Elizabeth Kulhanek challenged me to strengthen my story’s structure, characters, pacing, and tension—not once, but multiple times. Having that feedback and being pushed to continually make the work stronger—that’s the best thing an author can ask for. I’m so glad I found The Novelry and would recommend it to anyone who wants to improve their writing and develop a strong, sustainable practice as an author and storyteller.”

Joss Wyatt, a graduate of The Novelry, has signed with literary agent Marina de Pass at The Soho Agency for her speculative women’s fiction novel, The Man of My Dreams.

Disillusioned at a couples therapy retreat, Lizzy meets her perfect man—in her dreams. But when he comes to life, and takes her husband’s place, she realises there’s more at stake than just her marriage…

Joss was introduced to her agent through The Novelry’s bespoke submission service.

Joss says: “I’ve been writing and querying different novels for years, and signing up to The Novelry has hands-down been the best decision I’ve made in my journey so far. I found the course content particularly incisive, and the writing and editorial coaching helped me evaluate my story from all sorts of new angles.

“The submission process was a breath of fresh air compared to the cold querying I’ve experienced in the past. I genuinely believe I’d still be in the trenches searching for an agent were it not for The Novelry. Not only is the whole team talented and wonderful, but they champion you when you feel like you’ve hit a wall, and bring enthusiasm and ideas to help you find a way over. I am so grateful to Josie, Lizzy, Tash, Emily, Sadé, Mahsuda, Katie, and Kate for all their insights and efforts.

“I started the course hopeful and finished not only a stronger writer but… agented! It’s a dream come true.”

Maggie Bowler, a graduate of The Novelry, has signed with literary agent Clare Coombes at the Liverpool Literary Agency, for her debut novel, In The Picture.

Michael Lawson, a graduate of The Novelry, has signed with literary agent Mia Dakin at Greene & Heaton for his debut novel, The Coast is Queer—a gorgeous LGBTQ romcom set in Gran Canaria featuring drag queens, cheap booze, and a cast of holiday makers getting ready for the Pride parade!

Michael says: “I couldn’t have done it without The Novelry team. Having Libby Page as a mentor and Gillian Holmes as an editor has been a masterclass in writing. Thank you for taking a chance on me on the Octopus Scheme—I CAN’T BELIEVE I HAVE AN AGENT!”